John Carver has admitted Saturday's clash with West Brom is Newcastle's biggest game since the day they were relegated in 2009.
The Magpies welcome the Baggies to St James' Park desperate to end a run of eight successive Premier League defeats, which has left them just two points clear of the relegation zone.
Some pundits, including former Newcastle striker Michael Owen, have suggested Carver's side will not collect another point this season, which would put them at severe risk of the drop.
Despite the problems he faces -- injury and suspension will severely limit his options once again -- Carver is confident that will not be the case, but he admits Saturday is as big as the day in May 2009 when they lost 1-0 at Aston Villa and dropped out of the top flight.
He said: "It's probably the biggest one, in my opinion, since Aston Villa the year we went down. That was the biggest for a long, long time and this is up there with it.
"What we do have is two more cracks at the whip after this one. But it is in our hands. There has to be a response. We have to put all our differences aside.
"We know there are people not happy with the hierarchy. I know there are people not happy with me and with the players. We all know that, but let us put that aside.
"Get it out of the way, get safe, stay in the Premier League and then you can come for us, well, come for me."
Carver is currently caught in the eye of a storm, but he is not the only one with angry fans rounding on owner Mike Ashley and players who have been accused of downing tools some weeks ago.
Skipper Fabricio Coloccini attempted to restore a measure of order this week when he issued an open letter to fans calling for them to put their differences aside for a few weeks, and Carver welcomed his initiative.
The 50-year-old said: "When I saw the letter, obviously I couldn't understand it because it was in Spanish, but when I got the translation, I could tell it had come from the heart. You can tell. You can tell he means it and irrespective of what has gone on, it has come from the heart.
"It's his hand-writing, he's done it and it's his idea, he wanted to do it. He's been in this situation before where the club got relegated and he had to play in the Championship, which actually did him the world of good.
"People will be critical because all season he's not said anything and he's saying it now. But at least he's stepped forward and said, 'John's not the problem, we've got to sort it out ourselves'. I'm saying I'm part of the problem because I'm part of this team, definitely. But him stepping forward with that speaks volumes."
Carver will be without defenders Mike Williamson and Daryl Janmaat following their red cards at Leicester and midfielder Siem de Jong through injury, but could welcome winger Rolando Aarons and striker Papiss Cisse back to the squad.
Cisse remains the club's leading scorer for the campaign with 11 despite a trip to the African Nations Cup and the seven-game ban he has just completed. While he has scored important goals in the past, Carver knows there could be even more crucial ones to come.
He said: "They don't have to be spectacular or pretty like the two at Chelsea [in May 2012]. A little poke in the six-yard box might do it. Whatever it means, whichever way it happens, I don't mind, as long as it gets us the three points."
